Here is something i found:
media.www.unogateway.com/media/storage/paper968/news/2007/11/16/Opinion/Guest.Voice.Hollywood.Writers.Have.Had.Enough.And.So.Have.We-3105191.shtmlDoes anyone else think this Writers Guild of America strike has gone on far too long?
Not long in the sense that the writers are doing anything wrong, but long in the sense the entertainment industry somehow hasn't gotten the hint yet.
The WGA, West and East divisions, represents more than 12,000 movie and television writers in their contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. The WGA went on strike on Nov. 5 after three months of failed negotiations. Film and TV producers failed to produce a new contract to include compensations for use of their work in new media outlets such as the Internet, mobile phones and digital music players.
Just because the contract is out of date doesn't mean writers should be punished, but rather that the contract needs to be updated. According to the Writers Guild, guild-covered writer earnings have risen at less than half the rate of entertainment industry profits.
Late-night talk shows, scripted TV shows, feature films and other programming are suffering from the strike. According to the Wall Street Journal, Warner Bros. television suspended production of shows including Two and a Half Men and The Big Bang Theory, while Sony Pictures Television stopped production of Rules of Engagement and 'Til Death.
Actors and actresses are supporting the protesting writers, bringing food across the picket line include actress Eva Longoria of Desperate Housewives, who greeted strikers with pizza, and Ugly Betty cast members marched outside Raleigh Studios.
Others who joined the writers included actors Ben Stiller, Robin Williams, and David Duchovny; ER cast members John Stamos, Maura Tierney and Mekhi Phifer; Friends stars Lisa Kudrow and Matthew Perry; as well as Elliot Gould, Katherine Heigl, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and funny man Jack Black of Tenacious D, to name a few.
In addition to the WGA strike, some 25 Broadway shows have been canceled since stagehands went on strike on Saturday. They have been without a contract since July. According to the Reuters Web site, "New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has called on both sides to resolve their differences, saying that the economic impact of the strike is felt far beyond the closed theaters. Broadway shows are a major tourist attraction, bringing hundreds of millions of dollars into the city." Negotiations are to take place this weekend at an undisclosed time and place.
The last major WGA strike in 1988 lasted 22 weeks and cost the entertainment industry an estimated $500 million. Can the entertainment industry really afford another strike like that or even worse? You would think it would be cheaper for them to just give the writers their fair cut.
Instead, the studios are trying to blame increasing production costs to avoid giving writers their share. However, this strike could very well cost the studios a whole lot more.
The modern world almost revolves around the Internet, and the writers' demand for payments for shows made available to stream or download online is reasonable.
A writer doesn't have the same job security as most jobs do. The show they write for could be canceled at any time, so the money they do make from their current show is vital for them and their families.
"If the studios really believe they can't share a sliver of profits with the people who create what they sell, they'll be the losers," wrote Los Angeles Times columnist Patrick Goldstein. "If you don't believe in the future, you shouldn't be in show business."
It's not only the writers who are suffering. Audiences are noticing their favorite shows go off the air one by one. It started with the late-night talk shows and is now leaking into our sitcoms and prime-time dramas.
Popular TV shows are literally running out of scripts as the strike continues and, although film production remains unaffected for now, Desperate Housewives actually ran out of scripts already. It won't be long before movie quality disappears as they dip into their stockpile of scripts.
A scarier aspect of this situation is a clause in writers' contracts called the "force majure," which, according to CNBC, allows media companies to negate contracts during a strike.
This essentially means if the studios wait long enough, they can get rid of the writers legally and start over with new writers. Since this clause is ineffective until six weeks into a strike, producers are unlikely to give in until then.
For now, supporters of the protesting writer's can show their support in a number of different ways. One simple thing you can do is change your MySpace.com and Facebook.com profile pictures to the WGA's support graphic, which can be downloaded at wga.org - just click on "Support Us" link on the main page. You can join the official MySpace group in support of the strike at myspace.com/hollywoodinterrupted.
Additionally, you can also send a message of support to the WGA or write the heads of NBC, CBS, ABC, Fox, Viacom and Warner Bros., asking them to bargain fairly with the writers. You can also sign a petition supporting the strike at petitiononline.com/WGA/petition.html.
With the amount of money these businesses make off of these writers' work, it's only fair that they give them a piece of the pie. Everyone who enjoys the products of the American entertainment industry has an obligation to jump in and join the WGA's fight.
I had no idea Katherine Heigl and all these people also striked EDIT:
Look at this pics:
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/7094903.stm